Three Simple Words

Three simple words that most of us experiencing difficult situations in our lives might find hard to utter and yet they reflect our character and the validity of the faith we have in God.

I have been teaching in the book of Daniel and I am always encouraged when I read about the men in this book whose faith in God stood the test. Including three men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Whether this extreme or not, God indeed can deliver us from any afflictions we face.

He can deliver from oppression. He can keep his people from persecution. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Deliver us from evil,” because God can. But of course, all of this is easy to say when we’re not suffering or threatened. “God is sovereign over my cancer” is difficult to announce. Harder yet, “God is sovereign over my wife’s cancer.” Harder still, “God is in control over my daughter’s or sons’ terminal illness.” The glorious truth of God’s sovereignty can be hard to look at in such seasons. But the question we all must answer within this brief moment in eternity, is this: If God does not do what we know he can — cure, redeem, repair — will we trust him? If he refuses to answer our pleas in the ways we expect, will we love him, obey him, and endure in faith till the end? Will we, after praying to him about our deepest pains and sorest bruises, after casting burdens upon him so heavy that they daily threaten to break our will to go on — will we, after experiencing sorrow so paralyzing that we have trouble to even cry — will we, along with my friend, and three young Jewish boys facing a fiery furnace, defiantly say, “But if not”?

Refusing to bow — even to avoid being burned alive — they stood before the king of Babylon and the massive gold statue of himself. Nebuchadnezzar thought he was a god. He demanded their worship. But three young boys bowed their knees only to the true God, and so they declared, when summoned to kneel,

In Daniel 3:16-18 we read, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Other Israelites lay prostrate around them. They alone stood sounding the proclamation of faith available to us today, “My God will deliver me — but if not, still I will trust him. The Lord is strong enough to rescue me if he chooses. But if not, I will not give in to sin. My God can heal me if he decides it best. But if not, I will not forsake my confession of faith. My God can undo this disability if he but speaks the word. But if not, I will trust in the God who will raise me from the dead.” Can you join the faithful and say, “Take my Isaac, take my family and servants, take my health from me, and I shall sing, ‘It is well with my soul.’

Do you feel like you’re sliding down the shoot into the furnace? Do you feel like you’re already standing in the flames which are burning seven times hotter than usual (Daniel 3:19)? Do you feel like you simply cannot keep going? Do you see that fourth person standing in the flames with you? (Daniel 3:25) Do you see him sympathizing with you? Do you see him suffer for you? As all else fails, is He enough for you? Do you believe his promise that soon you will suffer no more? Do you see him with you? Do you know the depths of his love.